Hate to be one of those folk that B.C. Housing Minister Rich Coleman believes has nothing better to do than get up and whine every day, but the B.C. government's affordable housing plan announced last week falls short. Sorry, someone had to say it.

The whole speech was an hymn for democracy, aiming to remind us that after all this time, since democracy was first born here in Greece, its flame still fuels the progress of our society. He reminded us that democracy is neither perfect, nor complete.

Watching the challenges of misogyny, sexism, racism, discrimination, poverty, and unemployment play out on centre stage in the United States has heightened the awareness that the same issues are still alive and well in our own country. The impact that a prime minister or president can have on the issues we care about is more than immense.

Global health transcends boundaries. But it also transcends domains and disciplines of practice. Canada is positioned to play a strategic role as a leader on the international development stage, and this means that integrating youth leaders into global discourses, particularly relating to health, is vital.

As the results began to become undeniable and there was no avoiding the dreaded outcome, I witnessed my children and their friends reaching out to ask each other in shock and asking their parents "How could this happen?"

Children and youth under the age of 18 are the most at risk for sexual assault in Canada, followed by young people aged 18-24, according to Statistics Canada. This issue is critically important to young people, but so often, older adult voices are prioritized.

Technology plays a large part in the lives of everyone; it's where we communicate, learn, express ourselves and spend much of our leisure time, but what does it look like when the primary medium we use for these things becomes corrupted with hate and abuse?

I really didn't understand why I was so sad all of the time. It was a whirlwind of overwhelming emotions of loneliness, frustration and annoyance with everything. It's these times when you need to recognize what's happening with yourself and discover and use the tools to help you get through it.

Many people argue that the best way to help someone and improve their quality of life is to give them a job. This may be true, however, I would also argue that one of the best ways to help someone is to teach them and give them the skills and resources to become their own boss.

At times, you may feel overwhelmed or alone, and it may seem as though things will never get better. Know that anxiety is a treatable condition and that you can overcome this. This is about your happiness and well-being. By speaking up and asking for help, you can start on your road to recovery.

Sometimes having a mentor can make all the difference in choosing a career path or field of study. Mentoring youth has positive impact on their development and academic achievement. Mentoring is also critical in helping youth explore and develop their interest in the fields of STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math.

I'm not a parent but I wanted to understand the jump in anxiety levels from 10 -20 years ago and how they correlate with social media. So I interviewed Dana Kendal, a therapist (MSW,RSW) with 18 years of experience working with youth and families.

When Penny's mom said last week that Ms. Oleksiak is in fact "a very typical teenager," she reminded us of something important. Ms. Oleksiak is one of many young Canadians just waiting for their opportunity to shine. If we surround them with support, they will no doubt live up to the challenge just like Ms. Oleksiak did in Rio.

Canadians have a rare and precious opportunity to influence the future functioning of our democracy, both in terms of citizen representation and the balance of power that underpins day-to-day decision-making by our national government. This is a window of opportunity that, if squandered, may not present itself again for years to come.

Numbered at 1.8 billion, the world is now home to the largest generation of young people aged 10 to 24 in its history. Having grown up in a digital era and more connected than ever before, younger generations are able to see the world's boundaries as more fluid, recognizing their shared interests and values with people around the globe.

Last month, I wrote about my frustration with how slowly Canada is moving toward reconciliation with First Nations, Metis and Inuit Peoples. I despaired about the bad news coming out of reservations, the streets, the jails, our women and girls, the youth suicides... and wondered if we were ever going to move from pretty words to action.

With Pride festivals kicking off around the country, we sat down with Kids Help Phone Counsellor Shannon to talk about what it's like for a young person to attend their first Pride festival, what issues they face, and the types of conversations they should have with friends, family and allies.

Simply put, sports has a way of connecting people. When you throw on your team colours, you're no longer a Sikh, Jew, Christian, White, or Black. You're simply a fan. And the only thing that matters in that moment is realizing the dream of seeing your team lift up the trophy one day and host a parade on your home streets.

From my earliest moments as a new mother, I'd longed for my daughter to experience the same enjoyment from reading and falling into a good book that I'd felt in my youth. I pictured us walking in tandem in our mutual appreciation for stories, unpacking plots and characters for each other as we bonded in conversation.

Over the five years I spent seeking treatment, my family and I encountered a seemingly endless series of obstacles -- from programs that couldn't accommodate me, to waiting lists that lasted much longer than my desire to get clean -- all of which combined to feel like the treatment system was designed for me to fail.

Canada's youth are the biggest winners from Tuesday's federal budget, but not in the way you'd expect. Buried deep inside the budget, well below the commendable financial commitments to First Nations, families and young children, is a potential game-changer for young people -- plans to create the first ever Prime Minister's Youth Council.

There are times where living out of a backpack is forced upon us. Homelessness, war or even a mundane loss of luggage in transit make our backpacks less of an accessory and more of a lifeline. When I was living with my family in Senegal in 2012, I almost had one of those circumstances happen to me.

We decided early on that, while we would of course ensure we had messaging towards youth across the country, and support young campaigners in constituencies nationwide, our focus had to be tailored to where we could be most effective. We decided to focus our efforts organizing constituencies with campuses.

I am fading in and out of the conversation -- lost between the hum of the bus and the fact that it's after 10 p.m. On any regular night, I'd be getting ready to go to bed and thinking about school the next day. Tonight I'm trying to get out of -20 degrees Celsius and find us all a bed.